In the comic book “X-O Manowar,” the title character wears armor that lets him fly, repel missiles and wield a lightning sword. Now the U.S. luge team is borrowing his suit—minus the fantastical properties.

As part of a new sponsorship deal with USA Luge, comic book publisher Valiant Entertainment has redesigned the national team’s bodysuits and helmets to resemble the orange-and-blue scheme of X-O Manowar’s suit of armor. The two-year partnership runs through the 2014 Winter Olympics, where it is unclear whether the superhero stylings will be allowed.

The plan started with Gordy Sheer, a former Olympic silver medalist for the U.S. luge team and now its marketing director. Last year, Mr. Sheer mentioned his vision to the owner of another luge-team sponsor, who in turn introduced him to a former head of Marvel Entertainment, Peter Cuneo. Since helping steer Marvel from bankruptcy to a $4.3 billion acquisition by Disney, Mr. Cuneo invested in Valiant and became chairman.

Formed in 1989, the company was known for flawed heroes such as Shadowman, a possessed jazz musician who fights zombies in New Orleans. Valiant competed with Marvel and DC before the videogame company that owned it went bust. By 2008, two former Valiant fans, Jason Kothari and Dinesh Shamdasani, had acquired Valiant and its 1,500 characters, and brought in Mr. Cuneo. Since relaunching last spring, the company has published 20 new issues. Five movies are in development.

In addition to revamping the lugers’ dated suits (hot-rod-style flames), Valiant’s plans include writing USA racers into a comic book. In turn, Valiant hopes to increase its footprint in pop culture. The company is respected by comics fans, but its characters have no name recognition with the wider public.

Valiant and USA Luge declined to comment on the financial terms, but Mr. Sheer says the deal would allow the team to do things like bring a couple of extra lugers to a World Cup event this month in Austria, where the X-O Manowar suits will make their competition debut.

The design has not yet been submitted to the International Olympic Committee, which bars logos from uniforms, except for those of apparel sponsors. If organizers games reject the X-O suit, deeming it the equivalent of a brand logo, Valiant says it will go back to the drawing board to comply.

The design of the X-O uniforms, which was created by comic book artist and Valiant contributor Patrick Zircher, won’t affect the technical properties of the suits. They are made of a Spandex-like fabric by boutique manufacturers in Europe. But when sledding down an icy track at up to 90 miles per hour, there could be a psychological advantage to looking like an avenging Visigoth warrior. Mr. Sheer says: “If you look cool, you feel cool. And if you feel cool, you go fast.”